Survival of the Fittest
by NepheliadClouds
Summary: In a post apocalyptic world full of feral ghouls, raiders, and super mutants, Joanna must scour the Commonwealth to find her brother. Can a thirteen year old girl survive in a polluted, irradiated world? Blood runs thicker than water, yet in a world she was never meant to be in, will she find family in strangers? She is stubborn and she is strong. No one can take that away from her
1. Chapter 1

"Can you grab the sugar bombs for me Codsworth? I can't reach the cabinet." My hand could barely reach the edge as I struggled to grasp the box. Even on my toes, it was out of my reach.

"Miss Joanna, I did overhear your mum advise you to stay clear of the sugar bombs. You did have them for breakfast yesterday," Codsworth remarked to me as he poured a kettle of piping hot coffee into a matching pair of mugs, "And the day before that."

I grumbled to myself and gave the best pout I could manage, "But it's a Saturday! Do me a favor please?"

He chuckled in that strangely robotic yet lively voice of his, "Alrighty, my lady. But just this instance!" His arm extended and flipped open the cabinet door with ease, lifting the box of cereal and placing it in my hands.

"Thank you Codsworth," I smiled as I rushed over to the fridge for some milk. He set a bowl and spoon on the counter, and I couldn't help but laugh. "Thanks again pal."

"I do have a weakness for good manners," I heard him reply as he set the kettle into the coffee maker.

Suddenly, the door opened with Dad coming through, a bundle of envelopes and the newspaper scrunched up in his hand. But when he turned, I saw a magazine folded in his back pocket and I nearly spit out the half chewed up cereal in my mouth.

"Dad! Is that the newest Grognak comic?" I rushed over to him, practically jumping up and down. I'd been waiting for the latest issue for _two_ months. They usually come out by one!

"You guessed it," he grinned wickedly, "Finish your breakfast and I'll let you read it."

"I'm almost finished with it," I ran back and plopped onto my chair, chugging down the last of the milk and tossing the bowl and spoon in the sink. Dad sat down in the couch, about to unfold the newspaper until I promptly sat next to him, awaiting for the new and glossy comic to be handed to me.

"Good morning sir! Here's your cup of coffee. Careful, I just poured it out of the kettle." Codsworth floated over with the steaming hot mug. I could smell the bitterness and I scrunched up my nose in disgust.

"Thanks Codsworth. Grab the controller for me, will you honey?" Dad asked, taking a sip of his daily morning drink. I walked over to the T.V and placed the remote in his hands.

"Comic please?" I put out my hand expectantly.

"Here you go, kiddo." He placed it in my hands and let himself sink into the couch, watching the news with a concentrated look while drinking his coffee.

"Thanks Dad," I said, flipping through the pages of freshly printed comic. Grognak the Barbarian and the Jungle of the Bat Babies. I knew this was going to be a good one. I walked into my room, about to immerse myself in Grognak's adventures when Mom walks in with Shaun wrapped in her arms.

"Jo? I need you to hold Shaun for a minute. Play with him while I make his bottle," Mom placed him in my arms gently. I groaned in disappointment, but it was better to follow her word for the best.

The doorbell rang. Dad yelled, "I got it," but Mom walked to the door anyways.

"I'll be back in a second. Take good care of your little brother," she spoke with a stern eye before leaving my room.

"Promise," I replied back to her, rocking Shaun in my arms and cooing at him. He was awake, and giggling as I continued to make funny faces at him. I stuck my tongue out, and he was ecstatic. I laughed with him. It was nice to have a little brother. Being an only child was a lonely life.

I found myself wandering out to the living room with Shaun in my arms. There was a strange man with a funny yellow coat outside the door talking with Mom and Dad. When he saw me, he tipped his hat and smiled at me. I smiled back, but I sat in the couch to hide with Shaun. Still, I listened intently to every word. He was talking about Vault-Tec. It was something my parents seemed very interested about.

"Here's the young master's bottle, my dear Joanna," Codsworth came over to me with the baby milk. I thanked him again as I pressed the tip against his tiny mouth, and he began drinking out of it graciously. I sat there for a few minutes, eavesdropping on the conversation my parents were having with the Vault-Tec guy while watching the news. I was going to ask Codsworth to change the channel to the Saturday morning cartoon channel, but I didn't.

Then Shaun spit out the bottle and began crying. I accidentally dropped the bottle, and I tried burping him like how Mom showed me. That's when I began to smell a familiar stench.

"I think Shaun pooped," I exclaimed to Codsworth. I heard Mom apologize to the Vault-Tec man as she quickly rushed over to me, lifting him out of my arms.

"No biggie! I'll help Mum clean up," Codsworth happily followed Mom to Shaun's room. That's when Dad shut the door. He sighed heavily, walking over to the kitchen to grab his coffee again.

"Who was that man, Dad?"

"Oh, just a Vault-Tec representative. Your Mom and I signed up for a spot inside one of their fallout shelters, just in case. Nothing to worry about, Jo." He sipped his coffee, settling beside me as he wrapped an arm around my shoulder, "How 'bout we all go to the park this afternoon, huh? Weather seems pretty nice today."

"I still have to find a halloween costume for Marie's party though," I informed him, "I want to be a soldier in power armor! Maybe I could make my own out of cardboard."

Dad chuckled, but there was a distant look in his eyes, "How about something more halloweeny? Like a vampire or something."

"That's boring," I shook my head in disagreement, "Maybe I could be Grognak!"

When Dad heard that, he laughed, "I don't think your mother would like that, sweetheart."

"Nate! Could you lend me a hand?" Mom shouted from Shaun's room, ending our discussion.

"I'll be back in a second, Jo." Dad stood up, ruffling my hair before leaving me alone in the living room.

I leaned onto the arm of the couch, not paying much attention to the reporter talking about how sunny it would be for the rest of the day. Remembering the Grognak comic, I started to head towards my room.

But then a chill ran down my spine. I turned around from the hallway, walking towards the T.V. I walked closer and turned the volume louder. The newsman was coughing out phrases, mumbling words I couldn't understand.

"Spit it out already," I muttered in frustration. As if on cue, the man composed himself, his back rigid and his voice steadied. Were his hands shaking?

"Followed by...flashes. Blinding flashes. Sounds of explosions. We're...we're still trying to get the confirmation," the man read off the paper handed to him off camera.

The sounds of helicopters could be heard in the distance. One look out the window, and I saw military trucks and soldiers lining the streets. There was one approaching the door.

My breath hitched. I dashed to Shaun's room. There was a lump in my throat, and my hands began to feel clammy. My skin felt cold.

"Joanna? Is something the matter?" Mom was holding Shaun, but her brows were furrowed in worry. Dad seemed equally distraught.

"T-there's military outside. There's soldiers. The reporter says there's bombs…" I faltered. My parents looked at each other, as if displaced. They rushed over to the living room and watched the T.V with fearful eyes.

"...confirmed reports. I repeat, confirmed reports of nuclear detonations in New York and Pennsylvania…" The reporter continued.

"Oh my goodness." Mom whispered under her breath. She was tearing up. Crying. I felt my eyes water too. Why did this have to happen now? Why today? What was even happening?

"We need to go. _Now."_ Dad spoke in his low, quiet voice. He never spoke like that unless he was scared.

"What about Codsworth?" I was about to run down the hallway, but Dad grabbed my hand so hard it shot sharp pain up my fingers.

"We're leaving. Let's go." He slammed the door open and pushed Mom, Shaun and I out the house.

As soon as we stepped outside, there were sirens blaring everywhere. It hurt my ears. The neighbors were scurrying in and out of their houses, people were carrying their important things and their loved ones to safety. Soldiers were rushing people to the vault.

"Joanna! Run faster!" Dad was dragging me across the pavement. My heart was racing. I could feel my pulse in my ears. I struggled to catch up with him, but they were running so fast. Everything was a blur. I felt hot, wet tears running down my face. I held onto him tighter.

"This way!" Mom shouted to us. She pointed up the hill, across the bridge. Dad lifted me off the ground in frustration and we raced towards the vault. He was shaking so badly. He was clutching me so tightly I could barely breathe.

When we reached the top of the hill, I saw the Vault-Tec man. He wasn't going to be allowed in. What about the rest of those people? Would they be able to make it?

"We need to get in! We're on the list," Mom snapped at the soldier blocking our way. She was shaking just as badly as Dad was.

"Infant...child...adult female...adult male. Alright, go ahead." The soldier read off his clipboard slowly.

There were soldiers in power suit armor right behind him. My jaw dropped. I couldn't stop looking at them. Then my eyes darted to my neighbors, who were being pushed aside like trash. Was that Marie I saw? No. that couldn't have been her.

"Thank you," Dad nodded to the soldier as we finally reached the top of the hill.

"Good luck sir," I saw the soldier salute us with a rock hard face. Would they make it out alive?

We stepped on a huge metal disk, Vault-Tec painted on the shiny steel. Dad let me down on the ground, but I never let go of his hand. I grabbed for Mom's hand too, and I prayed for the people outside the gate. Marie and her parents weren't standing on the disk. People started pounding on the metal fence. A helicopter overhead was making the trees around us sway and bend, the leaves flying everywhere.

"Alright that's it! Send it down!" I heard a Vault-Tec officer shout out.

"Mom?" I squeezed her hand and she did the same to mine.

"It'll be okay Jo. I love you," The way she looked at me made my heart shatter. She was biting her lips to keep herself from crying. Dad embraced all of us in a big hug.

"Is Shaun alright?" Dad asksed her, kissing her cheek to comfort her.

"He's fine. We're all going to be okay." Her voice quivered. He held us tighter.

The bomb dropped. The ground shook like an earthquake. It knocked the breath out of my lungs. My head whipped toward the bright light, the mushroom cloud. When I stuck my thumb out, the cloud was already too big. Everyone was screaming and shouting.

"Send it down! Now!" The officer bellowed.

Dad forced me on my knees as everyone crouched. "Don't look Joanna," he murmured to me. I saw Shaun's face, and he seemed so unbothered.

" _Oh god, oh god, oh god_ ," a woman repeated again and again.

"Can't this thing move any faster?!" A man shouted.

I was shaking. I crouched my head under my arms and shut my eyes tightly. I didn't look up. I heard a roaring sound, like a lion's roar. Only louder.

As the platform descended, we continued to lower deeper into the ground; Into nothing but darkness.


	2. Chapter 2

I fell out of the cryopod. My arms and legs felt like lead. My fingers were still frozen. My teeth were chattering. I tried lifting my head, but the blood rushed up too quickly and I felt a low, pulsing pain. The air smelled stale. The floor was cold and wet.

" _Come on Jo_ …" I groaned to myself. Now my arms felt like spaghetti. I held onto a metal bar as I pulled myself up, dusting the dry ice off my vault suit.

The second I looked up I immediately regretted it. It was Mom. There was frozen blood splattered everywhere, on her chest, her face, and the walls. And Shaun wasn't in her arms like before. Then I remembered everything; a bald man shot her and I saw it with my own eyes. I pounded on the metal door to try and save her from the strange suited people who took Shaun away. But they couldn't hear me.

 _They shot her and took Shaun away._

Shaun was crying. Mom was trying to pull him away from the strange people. Then they finally grabbed him and the man shot her in the neck. The gunshot still rang in my ears. It still echoed. Then the man came over to me and said, "At least we still have the backup."

What did he even mean? What was he talking about?

This wasn't happening. This was all just a bad dream. This was a nightmare. I pinched myself, slapped myself, pulled my hair. I needed to wake up. Wake up Joanna, _wake up._

It wasn't working. I blinked my eyes open and Mom was still there, limp and dead. She was so pale, her skin was almost as blue as the suit she was wearing. My lip trembled. There had to be a way to get her out of there. I reached out and pressed a big red button, and suddenly the door creaked open.

I heard beeping. _Critical failure in Cryogenic Array. All vault residents must vacate immediately._

"Mom?..." I croaked out. No response. She was gone. There was a growing pit in my stomach.

I steadied myself and walked over to the pod next to her. Dad. It was Dad! I pushed the red button next to him and the door slowly opened.

"D-dad? Can you hear me?" I inched closer, pressed my hand against his chest. No breath. He wasn't breathing. "Dad?" I repeated.

Nothing.

My heart sank. I looked over to Mom, and she was still frozen. Dad was frozen. I ran over to the other pods. My neighbors were frozen too. I pounded on the doors, kicked them, screamed at them. Nothing.

My pulse started to race again. I remembered the bomb, the chaos, the confusion. And I slid to the floor in defeat, my cold hands clawing my face in frustration.

"Tell me what to do, Dad. I don't know what to do." I swallowed the sob that threatened to erupt from my throat. I rested my head against my knees, and I sat in front of him and Mom.

Wait. Shaun was still out there. They took Shaun. _He's still out there._ Alive.

I shot up from the floor and suddenly a fire started from within me. I took a deep breath as I rubbed my eyes, pulling my hair into a ponytail.

"I'm going to find Shaun. I'll make you proud, Dad. Sleep tight." _And don't let the bedbugs bite_ , he would reply back. But not this time. I closed the door as I saluted him, a proper soldier's salute like how he taught me. I made sure it shut tightly, and I walked over to Mom.

"I'm going to avenge you. And Dad. I promise."

As I walked away from the pods, I looked back one last time. I clenched my fists.

Whoever those people were, they were going to pay. For everything they did.

I needed to find a way out of here. Water was dripping from the ceiling. I ran down the halls, trying to find doors that could be opened. Then I stopped.

Holy…

What in the world was that? I stopped my breathing, walking backwards slowly. _Ohmygodohmygod_. What was that?

It was the biggest roach I had ever _ever_ seen in my entire life. It was just a roach. It was just a bug. It couldn't hurt me. I needed to kill it and then I could move on. _Come on Jo, you can do this,_ I told myself.

I sneaked up on the bug, making sure it wouldn't notice me. Then I steadied myself, planted my foot into the ground while the other rose high in the air. _Stomp!_ I heard its guts splash under my boot and I cringed. Why was it so big? Disgusting.

The room next to me had more of them. But they were all on the left side of the room. There were charges of electricity flashing in the middle of the room though. That wasn't safe at all. My eyes drifted to the right side. I just needed to stroll through and I would be fine.

I lurked quietly through, trying not to disturb the strangely enlarged roaches as I passed through. Then I gasped. There was a skeleton splayed out on the floor. Wearing a vault suit, just like me. I took a deep breath and continued onwards.

Then I felt a crawling sensation up my leg. I froze up and turned my head, expecting the worse.

"Aghhhhh!" I shrieked and shook my leg violently. The roach flew off, but came flying to my face instead. I screamed bloody murder again, punching it as hard as I could. More came my way. I found myself fighting against a horde of the giant roaches.

When I was done, my hands were sloppy with giant roach guts. I stuck my tongue out in repulsion. It smelled horrible. I wiped it away on my vault suit, but it didn't make things any better.

I continued to walk down the hall, finally reaching the lobby. But when I looked behind the desk, there was another skeleton. It was wearing a scientist's coat. The same one the Vault-Tec overseer wore, I remembered.

"Am I the only one alive here?" I asked myself. The thought didn't make me feel any better.

There was a pack of bullets sitting on the desk. I read the package, and it was filled with 10mm ammunition bullets. It would've been a good find if I actually knew how to shoot a gun. Still, I shoved them in my pocket. I'd have to teach myself how to shoot if everyone I knew was gone.

As I tucked away the bullets, I turned on the rusty terminal in front of me. Maybe this thing could tell me why everything was so messed up.

I pressed a key that read Pod Occupant Status. Everyone died of _asphyxiation._ They had no oxygen. I sighed to myself.

I'm alone. And parentless. Everyone I knew and loved is dead. Except for Shaun.

I read the journal entries. The last one that had a date read April 23, 2078. Was I frozen for a year?

I was done. I didn't want to know anything else. I opened the evacuation tunnel using the terminal.

A closet caught my attention. I quietly opened the door, peeking to see if any of the roaches were hiding in there. The coast seemed clear. When I saw a lone pistol lying on the top of the shelf, I pumped a fist of victory.

"Now if only I had Codsworth to help me out here," I mumbled. Was he still alive? He had to be. He's a sturdy robot. He had to be out there still. And I needed to find him too.

I was on my tip toes again, and miraculously I was able to reach for the gun. I wish Dad would've taught me how to shoot. Of course, Mom would've never let me. While Dad was on the range with his army buddies, I was stuck at home helping Mom around the house.

"Next time I go on the range, I'll persuade your mother to let you go. I promise Jo," Dad said to me before he went on what would be his last trip to the shooting range. Before the world went to crap.

I looked back and I would've given anything in the world to be there again; to sit on the couch reading while mom embroidered and knitted. To help her around in the kitchen to cook and taste test her food. It only feels like those times happened yesterday, but now I'll never be able to do that with her. I'll never be able to ask my dad to go to the shooting range. Not until I see them in death.

I began to have that heavy feeling in my chest again. I bit the inside of my cheek to distract myself, and moved onwards.

My eyes widened. It was like I found the discovery of the century. It was the coolest gun I had ever seen, like something straight out of a Grognak comic! I didn't know what it was, but I just knew it was cool. In my stupidity, I tried punching open the case. That only ended up with me getting a sore hand.

"I'll come back for you next time," I muttered.

I ran through the halls, the pistol heavy in my hands. I ran past the giant roaches as quietly as I could. I didn't want another disgusting pile of giant roach guts on my hands again. Then I came to the entrance of the vault. Where everyone arrived.

"Is that?..." I came across a box full of everyone's clothes. Mom's blouse, Dad's white button up, and my dress. Reluctantly, I picked up the blouse. It still smelled exactly like her. Cherry blossom perfume and all. I bit my lip and moved on.

There was another skeleton scattered on the floor wearing a scientist's coat. Only this time...Was that a Pip-Boy? The thing was strapped onto its hand, which somehow got detached from the body. I grimaced, picking up the device anyways.

"Sorry buddy."

I strapped it onto my left wrist, searching for the power switch. Once I found it, the Pip-Boy started up, the loading screen flashing green. The controls for the entrance were right in front of me. But how would I get it to turn on? Experimentally, I pressed the big, square button.

It beeped. _Pip-Boy interface required to activate Vault door cycling sequence. Have a nice day,_ the voice prompt finished.

"Today has been everything but _nice_ so far," I scowled, finding the plug that fits into the hole next to the button. As soon as I inserted the thing, the Pip-Boy said "ready." But was I?

I held my breath. Then, with a finger, I pressed the square button again. There was a second of silence, then everything went dark. I jumped at the loud alarm that started as red lights began flashing. _Vault door cycling sequence initiated. Please stand back._

A giant machine started to unscrew the vault door. My stomach churned. I was leaving them behind. Everything. The metal bridge unfolded before me. The door was open. I began stepping down the stairs. I walked into the huge elevator that brought me down here when the bombs dropped. And I waited.

 _Enjoy your return to the surface. And thank you for choosing Vault-Tec._


	3. Chapter 3

I twiddled my thumbs as the elevator slowly rose. There were butterflies in my stomach, and I was jittery. I didn't know what to expect. I kept taking deep breaths, because I knew I had to prepare myself.

The roof above me started to crack open, the light sinking through. I squinted my eyes and covered them with my free hand as I grabbed for the pistol holstered onto my belt. The light was almost a blinding white; It burned and I could barely see anything.

As soon as I took my first breath of fresh air I was coughing and hacking. I struggled to catch my breath. I must have inhaled some dust or something. I heard the beeping of more alarms as I finally reached the top.

The platform stopped with an abrupt shake. I rubbed my eyes and steadied myself, adjusting to the sunlight. But there was nothing I could do to prepare myself for the sight I saw before me.

"Oh my god," My jaw dropped. Everywhere I looked, there was nothing but leafless trees. Dead and empty. The grass was crusty and brown, and so were the metal fences. Sanctuary was destroyed. The houses were wrecked and falling apart. Even I could tell from here.

"Hello world," I sighed heavily. I needed to keep going. Codsworth could still be in Sanctuary. He had to be there. I crossed my fingers for good luck. I was going to need it.

Turning around, I walked over to some yellow crates. There were bottles of Rad-X. What was Rad-X again?...I read the label. It was for radiation resistance. Apparently I couldn't take more than two pills a day. Interesting. I set the bottle aside for later. I needed something to carry things. A backpack would help.

I trekked down the hill and across the bridge, following the trail of skeletons and debris to Sanctuary. It felt like I was just running away from the bombs yesterday. Like I could still hear everyone's screams. But now, everything was too quiet. Too eerie.

As I approached my old neighborhood, I shuddered. It was worse up close than far away. Burnt up tree branches and plants scattered the streets, tree trunks overturned in the dusty soil. The cement streets seemed like they would collapse under my feet any was only one thing to do now, which was to find my house.

It was strange to see everything like this. I walked past Marie's house. Their family car was rusted and broken, the windows shattered and the roof filled with holes. I remembered playing in her house the week before everything happened. We played a game of Blast-Radius and stole Nuka-Cola from her older sister's stash in the fridge.

I never wanted to play Blast-Radius again. Still, a bottle of ice cold Nuka would be pretty nice right now.

Suddenly I heard a familiar robot's engine. I stopped walking. I ran, as fast as my two feet could carry me. My heart was racing. I saw that shiny metal body that floated in the air. I was going to burst any second.

"Codsworth!" I yelled out. It definitely caught his attention.

" _As I live and breathe!_ " I heard him gasp. If there was a way to hug a robot as round as a beach ball, I would have done it. But instead I just stood there, unable to make out any words, "It's...It's really you!" He cried out.

"C-Codsworth…" I stammered, "I can't believe you made it. I was so scared for you."

"Oh you needn't worry about me Miss Joanna. Though things _have_ been awfully dull around here. But now that you've returned, things will be so much more exciting!" He laughed nervously, "Where are your parents, by the way?"

My smile quickly turned into a frown, "My parents are dead, Codsworth." Just saying that left a bitter taste in my mouth.

"Miss Joanna, what you're saying...These terrible things...I believe we need a distraction! You need a distraction, my dear. Something to calm this dire mood."

"Codsworth…"

"It's been ages since we've had a proper family activity. Checkers, Mahjong...or perhaps charades! Shaun did always love a good game of charades. You are particularly the professional at that game." He paused, his big googly robotic eyes trying to search for something, "Is the lad..with you?"

"They...they took him. No, they stole him. Shaun was kidnapped," I swallowed, biting the inside of my cheek, "But I'm gonna find him. No matter what. I'm going to bring him back."

"This is worse than I thought. Hmm...Perhaps a nice hot meal would help the hunger-induced paranoia you seem to be suffering of. Not eating properly for 200 years will do that to you, I'm afraid."

My eyes widened, " _200 years?!"_ I was speechless. "You're joking with me. You have to be."

"I'm afraid not, Young Miss. It's actually a little over 210. Give or take Earth's rotation and some minor dings to the ol' chronometer."

"Think of all the birthday parties I've missed out on…" I laughed jokingly. I was screaming inside.

"I suppose that means you're two centuries late for dinner! Perhaps I can whip a snack up for you? You must be famished."

"You're acting like nothing even happened, Codsworth. Are you okay?"

"Well..I...I."

"You can tell me."

" _Oh_...Oh It's been just absolutely horrible, Miss Joanna," He cried out, "Two centuries with no one to talk to, nobody to serve!...I spent the first ten years trying to clean and wax everything, but not even Abraxo cleaner will get nuclear fallout out of vinyl wood. _Nothing!_ Don't get me started on the condition of the car, or the futility of dusting a collapsed house. How in the world do you polish rust?"

"I wanted to bring you, but so much was happening…"

"I'm afraid I know nothing, my dear. The bombs were being dropped, and you all left in such a hurry. I thought for certain that you and the rest of your family were…were _dead_!"

"I'm sorry you had to go through that alone, Codsworth. But I'm here for you now. It's gonna be alright."

"I did find this holotape," he sighed, "I believe your parents were going to present it to you. A surprise of some sorts. But then...well, everything happened."

"Thanks Codsworth," I said as he handed over the holotape. _To Joanna_ , it read.

"You're very welcome, ma'am. Perhaps that Pip-Boy on your arm should allow you to play it back. That should work brilliantly."

"Maybe we can search the neighborhood. Let's go on an adventure and stop feeling sorry for ourselves," I suggested lightly, tucking away the holotape in my pocket.

"I agree wholeheartedly. We may just be able to turn up on Shaun! Just be careful, and watch for those pesky mosquitoes and wild dogs. I'll be right behind you."

"I guess we can start here." I walked into the doorway of my house. I wasn't expecting much, but I could still tell where the living room and kitchen used to be. For some reason the T.V was still standing, and so was the fridge. The wallpaper was stained and starting to peel, and everything was so... _dusty_. I peeked in the sink. My bowl and spoon were still in there! Just a dirtier version.

I headed into the hallway, turning right on the first door. It was my room.

"Careful Miss Joanna. I don't want you stepping on broken glass. Watch your head."

"I'll be fine, Codsworth." I assured him. My mattress was burnt to rubble, scattered in pieces around the broken bed frame. I kneeled over, picking up the burned Grognak comic I left behind, "Darn. Now I'll never be able to read that chapter." It crumbled to ashes through my fingers.

"Now, I'm sure we'll find a copy of the issue you're looking for."

"Maybe." I muttered.

I drifted over to my wardrobe, still standing after two hundred years. The top two drawers were broken, though. As I slid the last drawer open, I gasped. It was a suitcase holding all the traditional clothes my Grandma got me from China. Hand-me-downs and the like. I ripped open the casing, greeted by the fumes of mothballs wafting in my face. I gagged, but couldn't help but run my dirty fingers through the silk. A _cheongsam_. Mom always said that I should keep it hidden in my dresser. She never had enough room in her closet for a clunky old suitcase.

"How beautiful. A wonder how It survived through all these years."

"Must be the the moth balls," I coughed. The dress didn't fit me yet, last time I tried it on. I rummaged through more of the clothing, until my hand bumped into a small, golden locket. It was the one Grandma gave me before she passed away. I opened the locket, revealing a stark, black and white photograph of her and Grandpa.

A good thing she didn't live long enough to see what the world was like now. I shook my head and tucked it back under the layers of old clothes, carefully locking the suitcase together and hiding it away. I didn't want anyone stealing it.

I stood up, leaving my room and headed towards Shaun's. I immediately saw the crib, the blue paint chipping off the wood. The rocketship mobile was still hanging on top. I gave it a spin, but then a rocket fell off. Oops.

There was a broken picture frame lying face down on the table beside the crib. I picked it up, shaking away the cracked glass. It was _us_. I remembered taking the picture six months after Shaun was born. Mom was holding Shaun, and Dad was holding my shoulders with that big smile of his.

"Let's look somewhere else, Codsworth. This place is depressing."

"Right away, Miss Joanna. I'll be waiting outside the door."

I slid the picture out of the frame and folded it neatly into my pocket with the holotape. We went to the house next door. Mr. and Mrs. Able's place.

As soon as I stepped in, a swarm of giant flies stormed into me. There wasn't any time to react. I dropped my gun and ran as fast as I could, screaming and batting them out of my hair.

"CODSWORTH! HELP ME!" I shouted at the top of my lungs, tripping on my foot. I heard him yelp in horror as he quickly took out his spinning razors, floating by and cutting them down, killing every single one of them. They dropped before me in heaps of gooey gunk.

"Oh I am so very sorry Miss Joanna! I hadn't anticipated another flock of bloatflies make their nest in there again. I thought I disposed of them all yesterday."

"What is the deal with all the giant bugs?! I had to kill a bunch of giant roaches when I fell out of the cryopod! It's disgusting!"

"Those were probably radroaches you encountered. I forgot to mention the mosquitoes are quite large as well, and much more dangerous than the radroaches. All caused by years of exposure to the nuclear fallout." He pulled out a clean rag with his robot claw, "Are you alright? Are you hurt?"

"It's okay, Codsworth," I sighed, taking the cloth and smearing the bug guts off my face and hands, "Thanks for rescuing me."

"My job is to protect you ma'am. I would be doing it wrong if otherwise."

We spent the rest of the day rummaging through all the houses. No sign of Shaun. Just old relics of what life used to be. It felt weird to look through all my neighbors' things. Some of them wanted nothing to do with us, being descended from the "Commies." But most of them knew Dad, how he served America in the war. And they knew Mom too. They called her the neighborhood's "China doll." I wasn't sure if that was a good or bad thing.

"Your family...They're nowhere to be found! They really are gone, aren't they?" Codsworth sniveled, his robot eyes blinking at me sadly.

"My parents maybe. But Shaun's still out there. I've gotta find him."

"We will have to wait for tomorrow then. It's getting far too dark to travel safely."

Codsworth was right. The sun was beginning to set, and if there were giant flies and cockroaches, then who knows what else might be out there? I shivered, clutching my arms together as a cold gust of wind blew past me.

"I'll kindle a fire and find something for you to eat. You must be famished. Just wait here. I won't be gone for long."

"Thanks pal."

As soon as he flew out of sight, I fumbled around the Pip-Boy trying to put in the holotape. When I finally found the right button, I brought it close to my ears so I could listen.

"Hi sweety!" My parents sang in unison, with Shaun's giggling in the background.

"Since the holotape recorder just came in, we decided to record the very first message to you. An early birthday present from Shaun and us." Dad said.

"We just want you to know that we love you so much. You've been such a good helper with Shaun, and you know that both your father and I are so proud of you."

"Whenever you're feeling down or lonely, we hope that this holotape will make you feel better, whatever the problem is. You're smart, very creative, so full of energy. You tell the best stories. Better than your old man!"

"Never forget who you are or where you came from. I know growing up here is hard, but always remember that we are here for you. No matter what you choose to do in your life, we will support you the best we can."

"That's what family is for. Right Shaun? Say hi to big sister!"

I could hear Shaun mumbling and drooling in his baby talk. I almost forgot how good it felt to hear Mom and Dad laughing together.

"Well, happy early birthday, Jo."

"We love you." Mom finished, ending the tape.

The tape ended, but I wished that it didn't. I wanted it to go on and on. Why did it have to stop? I wanted to cry, but I couldn't. I felt dried up inside, like a stale packet of Fancy Lads Snack Cakes.

"Are you alright, Miss Joanna?"

I flinched in surprise. I didn't even notice Codsworth coming back.

"Oh.. Hi Codsworth. I didn't know you'd come back so quickly."

"Yes, well I found a can of cram for dinner. And a bottle of unopened Nuka-Cola! How does that sound?"

"It's perfect Codsworth. Thank you." He handed the can and Nuka over to me, then started to kindle the fire. I set the can on a slab of rock, close to the fire to heat up the food. Once it cooled off, I picked out what I could salvage out of some two hundred year old lunch meat. Strangely enough, it still tasted exactly how I remembered. Was that a good or bad thing?

"Let's hope tomorrow will be a better day," I muttered out with my mouth still full of chewed up cram. When I looked up, the stars still looked the same. Bright and twinkly against the black of the night. That brightened my hopes up. One thing that the bombs couldn't change.

Tomorrow, Codsworth and I would set out to find Shaun.


	4. Chapter 4

I couldn't sleep.

What was that scrunchy noise I heard? I swore I just saw something move up ahead. I could hear wild dogs howling nearby. The drone of the giant bloatflies still buzzed in my ears. I flinched every time I felt something crawl up against my skin; like I could feel the sticky legs of the radroaches creep up my legs and arms. I felt sick to my stomach, and I knew the cram was gonna come up any second.

I clenched my eyes shut. I pulled my knees to my chest as I lay on an old, deflated mattress. The metal springs jabbed at my back every time I shifted my body. I swallowed down the bile coming up my throat, and I took a deep breath.

There was nothing I could do but sleep and wait for the sun to come up. Codsworth was right next to me; I could hear his mechanical wheezing and tinkling of his metal arms. Everything would be okay. I shut my eyes for the second time, waiting for that heavy feeling to wash over me and make all the sounds go away.

Except that didn't work. It only made things worse. I shut my eyes and then suddenly everything was dark and cold. I was in the cryopod. My breathing quickened. I pounded on the door, screaming for help. I saw mom being shot again and again. Shaun's sharp cries were piercing my ears. I kept pounding til my knuckles starting bleeding. Then I saw Dad lying there in front of me, his dead eyes peering into my own. I crouched in a helpless ball like a baby, and then the man who took Shaun away appeared out of thin air. He just stood and stared at me, 'til out of the blue he started cackling like a maniac, kicking Dad's lifeless body like a rag doll. I screamed and screamed and _screamed_.

I woke up with tears streaming down my face. The rising sun was burning my eyes, and I knew it was time to move.

"Codsworth?"

I looked to my left and right. He was gone. I thought I heard him right beside me last night. I panicked. Where did he go? He would never leave me. I had to look for him. The pit in my stomach came again.

"Miss Joanna!" I heard that robotic voice call my name. I sighed in relief, slouching my shoulders. I guess shouldn't be worrying that much. Codsworth would never leave me.

"You gave me the biggest heart attack Codsworth! I totally thought you left me hanging there for a second."

"I would never! I didn't want to disturb you in your sleep. I know very much that a young girl such as yourself needs plenty of sleep to function properly," he pulled out a worn backpack from his storage compartment, "I found a bag for you to carry things. Such is needed for you to collect knick knacks from all over the Commonwealth."

"I bet I'll find a lot to hoard along the way," I quickly wiped the tears off my dirty face, slipping the backpack on my shoulders. It was made of a sturdy canvas and leather material, and I knew it would hold up on our journey, "Thanks Codsworth."

"Are you alright, Miss Joanna? You do seem a little shaken. Perhaps you had a bad dream?"

I laughed lightly. My head and my body felt groggy, "You guessed it pal. Don't worry, I'll be alright. Throw me a packet of Fancy Lads and let's get goin'."

* * *

We set out at around noon. I was surprised that the pip-boy automatically showed the date and time without me having to adjust anything. Still, it might've been the wrong time for all I knew.

I saw the bridge overlooking the lazy river that circled Sanctuary Hills, and my breath hitched.

Was that a human? They were laying on their belly, limbs splayed out and everything. Their blood pooled at their head, and flies were starting to circle the flesh exposed to the air.

"Oh dear! Let's just keep going Joanna. No need to stick around the dead any longer," Codsworth ushered me forward.

"Yeah, I agree. We should get outta here," I quickly walked past the body. That feeling inside my stomach never went away. I've seen dead people in the comics, even in some of the documentaries of the war they used to show us in school. But none of that was anything compared to what lay behind me.

"I wonder who they were. Do you think they might have anything useful on them?"

"My guess is that they're most likely a part of the Raiders, from the way they are dressed. And if we're lucky, we'll find better steals around the wasteland. No need to risk you contracting a disease from that rotting corpse. The Raiders aren't very friendly people, so I would stay clear of them if I were you."

"Well at least I know i'm not the only human around this wasteland," I muttered.

And with that, we moved onwards. We crossed the wooden bridge as carefully as we could. One wrong move and I could tumble into the water below.

"So what else have you been doing besides cleaning all these years? Things must've been really boring with nobody to talk to."

"Oh, things have been so dull without your company, Joanna. There really wasn't much to do besides keeping out the occasional bloatfly nest or colony of radroaches that threatened to make their homes in Sanctuary Hills. I would have never allowed that, of course. Even though a part of me thought that you and your family were gone, I had a feeling that someone would come back eventually. _Anyone_. And now, here you are!"

I chuckled, "Everything's so different. There's so much more to worry about out here."

"That is very true. Not only are there giant bugs to worry about, the animals have gotten quite bigger also! Not to mention the raiders, ghouls, and super mutants that roam the land."

"Ghouls? As in zombies? And what are super mutants?" I raised a brow.

"Well, _feral_ ghouls are essentially irradiated humans who've been exposed to the radioactive fallout far too long. They lose their ability to think like you do, so they are very dangerous. But we will also encounter regular ghouls on our journey, and those ones are just like normal people. They just look a little different. But that's the beauty of our post-war world, I would say."

"What about super mutants? Why are they called that?"

"I would recommend you to stay as far away as possible from any super mutant you encounter, my dear. You'll be able to tell what they are from a mile away! They're very big and green. It would be best to avoid them as much as possible."

I scratched my head, "Jeez, there must be at least some things that are still normal around here."

As I glanced ahead, Red Rocket gas station was right in front of us. I could smell the gasoline, and it brought me back to the countless times Dad would refuel the car there. Mom would always complain about how expensive gas was getting. Sometimes, if I was having a lucky day, Dad would bring me inside and buy me an ice cold bottle of Nuka-Cola and a pack of bubble gum.

We got closer to the gas station. A loud bark shot through the air, and I shrieked and pulled out my gun with shaking hands. But then I came to my senses, and a dog seemed to appear out of nowhere. It ran right towards me, and I sighed in relief.

"Hey pal! I almost thought you were gonna eat me there for a second," I ruffled a hand through his coarse, thick fur. He barked, and I could see a twinkle in his eyes. Suddenly, he brought his two front paws to my chest and licked my face happily. I burst out in laughter, toppling to the ground as he seemed to embrace me in a giant bear hug. It was as if he hadn't seen another human in a million years. Something we both had in common.

"Looks like you've got no owner," I examined the collar strapped to his neck. The dog tag had been broken off. "I guess it's just gonna be you, me, and Codsworth, eh?"

"What a wonderful dog! He doesn't look too shabby for the canines I've seen around here," Codsworth exclaimed. "He doesn't seem to exhibit any signs of rabies or the like. He'd be good protection."

"And a good companion! I just gotta figure out a name for this new guy." I brought a hand up to my chin in thought, tapping my foot to find some inspiration. This had to be a unique name, anything but the ordinary.

"How about Charlie? Or Ollie? Cute names for an energetic pup such as him."

"Nah. Too generic. Everyone named their labs Charlie or Ollie back when Sanctuary wasn't blown to bits." I tapped my foot some more. The dog gave me a curious tilt of his head. Those big brown eyes of his were waiting for an answer. "How about Dogmeat?"

"Dogmeat? I hope you don't intend to eat the poor thing later tonight, Miss Joana…"

"Of course not! Just seems fitting for this lil' guy. He seems to like it anyway." I smiled, ruffling his fur some more. He probably would've been fine with any name I gave him.

"Joanna, have you been carrying an unloaded gun this entire time? What good would that do you in an emergency?" Codsworth lifted my gun up from the ground with his claw. He was _flabbergasted,_ as Dad would have said.

"I…" I stammered, "I thought that maybe one of these days I would teach myself. Dad never taught me how to use a gun 'cause Mom never let. I've got some bullets right here," I pulled out the box of ammunition from my pocket.

"Oh dear! How can you teach yourself how to shoot when you're not even sure how to hold a gun!"

"Well can you teach me Codsworth? If there's so much to worry about out here, I've gotta learn how to protect myself."

"I'm afraid my databases have no knowledge in handling armed weapons, my lady. But I agree wholeheartedly that you should learn how to protect yourself. God knows what I would do if I lost you out here!"

"Darn," I mumbled to myself, throwing the pack of bullets in my bag. Codsworth handed me the gun, and I holstered it to my belt in defeat, "Maybe we'll meet a friendly guy along the way who'll be willing to help us out. Right Dogmeat?"

Dogmeat gave a resounding bark in agreement, and headed towards the gas station, as if leading me to something.

"Well look what we have here."


End file.
